Penalty Point Punishment for Using a Mobile While Driving Could Double

Is there anything worse than seeing a driver on the phone whilst hurtling along a motorway? It's such a ridiculous, reckless act -- and one that too many drivers continue to do, despite it being illegal. With London seeing its first rise in road-related deaths in a decade, ministers are now pushing for stricter punishments for those caught driving whilst on the phone.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is considering doubling the amount of penalty points added to a driver's license for those caught breaking the mobile-flaunting law. On the recommendation of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, offenders would get six points as opposed to the current three handed down for the offence. Anyone caught breaking the law twice in three years would receive a driving ban as a result.

However, driving while holding a mobile has been illegal since 2003, and detractors of the plan, such as Prof. Stephen Glaister of the RAC Foundation, believe that the problem lies not with the severity of the punishment, but the police's own inability to enforce the current law. [Guardian]